X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse by Karl Bollers, Ben Raab, Alan Davis, Terry Kavanagh, Joe Pruett, Erik Larsen, and Joseph Harris

Having read the first half of X-Men vs. Apocalypse, I knew I didn’t want to leave it at the cliffhanger ending for long, so I dove right back in with the second half, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse.


The second book picks up where things were left at the end of X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve, this book contains three major stories. The first follows those who were left behind after the fight to save wolverine, as they find that someone is hacking the databases and gathering information on killing the X-Men. Next, we see the “Ages of Apocalypse” storyline, where, after the end of Volume 1, the time stream has been distorted in an attempt to give Apocalypse the victory he has nearly in his grasp. The final story, “The Search for Cyclops,” deals with the after-effects of the battle with Apocalypse, months after the fact, as Phoenix and Cable try to save an X-Man.

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse contains: X-51 #8(“Aftermath”), Uncanny X-Men #378 (“First & Last, Part 1”), Annual 1999 (“Utopia Perdida”), Cable #77(“Falsehoods”), Wolverine #148(“Same As It Never Was”), X-Men Unlimited #26(“Day of Judgement”), X-Men #98 (“First & Last, Part 2”), X-Men: The Search for Cyclops #1 (“Lost”), #2 (“Hunted”), #3 (“Am I Evil?”), #4 (“Found!”).

The storyline continues to be quite fun, although a little convoluted, in part due to the need to make two books similar in size that end at thematically appealing sections. The group left behind is hoping to make it to the main battle in Egypt in time, but based on the final chapter from Volume 1, we know they won’t. There is a months-long gap between the end of “The Ages of Apocalypse” and “The Search for Cyclops,” a time in which I know upcoming stories are set, making this one a little disjointed, if still an apt coda to the story. This book feels a touch episodic, with its three distinctly different storylines, rather than the two threads that were tightly inter-woven in the first book.

However, each manages to be entertaining in its own right. The members left behind manage a suitable series of battles in their attempt to race to Egypt, while the “Ages of Apocalypse” plays with a series of altered realities, both present and future, before wrapping up to tie back into the first storyline in this book, reuniting the team. The final portion narrows its focus to just a few main characters, and is interesting both in its tale of searching for a lost friend and in its eventual impact down the line in the X-Men series.

All in all, this is a fun book. It works as a satisfying conclusion to the plot arc, although it doesn’t maintain the suspense and epic plot of the first volume. It sometimes made it feel like the main climax was in the first book, with this just an extended denouement, but it does act as a nice in-between book, foreshadowing future events. This line of X-Men collections continues in X-Men: Powerless, released August 10.

7/10

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve by Erik Larsen, Joe Pruett, Terry Kavanagh, Alan Davis, and Fabian Nicieza

After really enjoying X-Men: The Shattering, I knew I needed to pick up the next book in line, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve. It picks up right where the previous volume left off.


As the mystery of The Twelve and Death’s true identity deepen, this volume opens up focusing on a few plot threads that are new to readers of the previous volume. As Cable, a man from the future sent to the past to prevent it, is stalked by Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Wolverine is struck by his inner demons. After they get caught up to the beginning of The Twelve, we return to the X-Men from the previous volume, now joined by the others, as the entire plan, spanning the entire history of the X-Men, comes to fruition. All of the future is in jeopardy as a dark god of humanity’s past plays his part in the prophecy, and threatens to destroy everything the X-Men have ever fought for.

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve contains: Uncanny X-Men #376(“Filling in the Blanks”), #377(“The End of the World As We Know It”), Cable #73(“Pestilence!”), #74(“Mindgames”), #75(“Who is Worthy to Break the Seals..?”), #76(“In My Eyes”), X-Men #96(“The Gathering”), #97(“The End of the World As We Know It, Part Two”), Wolverine #145(“On the Edge of Darkness”), #146(“Through a Dark Tunnel”), #147(“Into the Light”), and two pages from X-Man #59.

Like its predecessor, this is a fun book. There is a huge cast of characters, which may be off-putting to some, but for the most part it is well handled. The beginning of the book, which strays from the original X-Men plotline, also can be a bit of an abrupt switch, but it does a nice job of telling a fluid tale that brings all of the important characters up to the beginning of the major storyline, “Apocalypse: The Twelve” (although it should be noted that one of the issues collected references X-Man #60, which isn’t included; that seems like an odd piece to leave out). Everything draws together quite nicely, taking a large number of plot threads and pulling them down into one major one, before branching out a bit at the end to two. The first half of this large story flows well, and really builds the tension for the second volume, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse. I won’t miss it.

8/10